Elephant dies from exhaustion while carrying tourists in Cambodia

Tragic: Distressing photos of Sambo were shared on Facebook
Yem Senok/Facebook
Tom Marshall26 April 2016

Campaigners are calling for a ban on elephant rides after an animal collapsed and died of exhaustion while ferrying tourists around Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat temples.

More than 25,000 people have backed a petition calling for the rides to be stopped after the death of a female elephant, known as Sambo, at the vast world heritage site.

Sambo, believed to be aged between 40 and 45, suffered a fatal heart attack after carrying two tourists for a 40 minute ride in searing heat at the sprawling temple complex close to Siem Reap.

A vet said she died after suffering heat exhaustion due to her exertion in extreme temperatures of about 40C.

The petition on change.org states: “A cruel tourist attraction that is proven to be harmful to elephants, and can only damage the tourism industry of Cambodia, must finally come to an end.

“The recent death of an elephant, used for tourist rides, at the Angkor temples should be the final wake-up call for the community and tourism industry to take the steps needed to end this horrific practice.

“There is no such thing as cruelty-free elephant rides."

The death has strengthened calls from animal welfare organisations for a global end to the practice.

Groups including the Born Free Foundation, Peta and World Animal Protection are piling pressure on tour operators to stop offering the rides.

Chris Draper, from the Born Free Foundation, told the Huffington Post: "Elephants used for rides are generally trained using harsh and abusive methods, they may be kept isolated from social companions, and made to walk miles on hot roads.”

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